Sound diffusing apparatus



Dec. 22, 1936. R. B. EVANS SOUND DIFFUSING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 5l, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 22, 1936. R. B. EVANS SOUND DIFFUSING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 3l, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 l/vI/ENTOR. oerf ,Zi V4/25.

MLM n Am Y/H/M. 757/ gi @TURN/W5.

Dec. 22, 1936.

R. B. EVANS 2,065,367

SOUND DIFFUS ING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 3l, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 l 'l WEA/TOR. 2705612* ,5. 1l/4115- A TTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 22, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 13 Claims.

This invention relates to radio cabinet constructions. More particularly, it relates to a novel form of radio cabinet construction which is particularly effective to disseminate and diffuse the sound emanating from the sound reproducing apparatus of a radio receiving set within the cabinet.

More particularly, the present invention relates to a novel construction in which a substantially convex sound deflecting unit is mounted in spaced relation and directly in front of the loud speaker of a radio receiving outfit, in order that the sound emanating from the loud speaker will be diffused substantially uniformly in a plurality of different directions rather than being directed or focused as is generally the case in present day radio cabinet constructions.

Heretofore in the construction of radio cabinets, it has been considered desirable to provide constructions in Which the sound emanating from the loud speaker is definitely focused in a certain given zone in order that the radio receiving unit may operate at a minimum volume in order to produce a desired sound volume throughout the zone in which the loud speaker is directed. This directional or sound focusing type of loud speaker has been found to be quite satisfactory both in tone quality and volume in the particular zone to which it is directed. However, it has been found that the audible effect 30 outside of the particular focused zone of the loud speaker is considerably impaired not only in volume but also in tone quality due to the reflection and absorption of the directed sound wave by the Walls or other surfaces with which they come in contact. Furthermore, in conventional constructions the direction of sound projection is often too low to properly reach the ears of the listeners, particularly if they are standing.

It is, therefore, a primary object of the pres- 40 ent invention to provide a radio cabinet construction in which means are associated with the loud speaker of the radio, which means effectively serve to disperse substantially uniformly in all directions the sound waves emanating from the conventional type focused loud speaker unit.

Still further, the present invention contemplates the provision of a novel form of cabinet construction embodying the above described features which is particularly attractive from an ornamental standpoint as well as from the standpoint of the tone quality and volume of sound issuing from the loud speaker of the radio set.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a sound deflecting unit adapted for use with conventional loud speakers which will serve to disseminate the sound emanating therefrom and to disperse the same substantially uniformly in all directions laterally from the loud speaker.

Still further, the present invention contemplates the provision of a radio cabinet construction in which a plurality of loud speaker elements are used having mounted in combination therewith an improved type of sound deflecting device in order that a maximum of diffusion or dispersion of sound may be obtained and consequently greatly widening the zone of uniform tone quality and audibility.

Many other and further objects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following specification when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings:

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a table type of radio cabinet embodying the improved sound defiecting apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the radio cabinet construction shown in Fig. 1, with portions broken away, illustrating the interior construction thereof.

Fig. 3 is a perspective type of a radio cabinet adapted to be mounted on a floor having the improved sound deecting apparatus mounted upon the top thereof.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the improved radio cabinet construction shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the radio cabinet construction illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 with portions broken away to illustrate the construction of the sound reproducing and deflecting apparatus.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a radio cabinet construction somewhat similar in principle to that illustrated in Fig. 3, having the sound reproducing apparatus mounted in the top thereof.

Fig. 7 is a front elevational view, with portions broken away, illustrating the construction of the sound reproducing and deflecting apparatus of the cabinet shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 illustrates a still further modified form of the invention in which a downwardly disposed sound reproducing element is mounted upon the top of a radio cabinet.

Fig. 9 is a side elevational View of the upper portion of the cabinet shown in Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional view taken sub- Cil stantially on the line iii-l of Fig. 8 illustrating in detail the construction and position of the sound deflecting device.

Fig. l1 is a front elevational view of a still further modied form of cabinet construction in which sound reproducing apparatus is mounted both in the top and front wall of a radio cabinet and each sound reproducing element has mounted in cooperation therewith a sound defleeting device.

Fig. l2 is a side elevational View of the cabinet construction illustrated in Fig. 1l showing the relative position of the sound reproducing element.

With more particular reference to the drawings, and particularly to 1Figures 1 and 2 thereof, the specific modification of the invention illustrated therein generally comprises housing or casing i@ which serves to enclose a conventional radio receiving set. As is conventional in the art, this radi-c` receiving set is controlled by a plurality of knobs i i and the particular wave length to which the apparatus is tuned is indicated by the dial i2. A suitable loud speaker of conventional construction i5 is mounted in the open bottom wall of the cabinet til and is adapted to direct the sound emanating therefrom downwardly with respect to the cabinet l0. The specic type of loud speaker or sound reproducing apparatus utilized in connection with the improvements of the present invention is not material and by waz ot illustration I have shown a conventional loud speaker element comprising a substantially conical diaphragm which is magnetically actuated in the usual manner.

Suitable means are provided for spacing the cabinet i2 as a whole substantially above the surface on which it is mounted, and while any suitable construction may be employed to accomplish this end, have shown, by way of illustration, a plurality of legs i5 located substantially at the corners of the cabinet, which legs may be interconnected by means of suitable series of transversely extending bars il which serve to enhance the general ornamental appearance of the construction as a whoie, and provide openings which permit the outward passage of sound waves from the deiiector hereinafter described.

Mounted in any suitable fashion upon the legs i@ or transverse bars il and substantially centrally or the loud speaker element l5 is a sound reflecting device It has been found that the particular construction of this sound reflecting device may be varied within considerably wide limits and yet obtain substantially the desired beneficial results. The particular material from which the sound reecting device is constructed is relatively unimportant and it may be composed or" wood, metal, composition, or other suitable material, so long as its surface construction is relatively smooth and of a nature which serves to reflect sound waves projected thereon. Likewise, the particular shape of the sound reflecting member E@ has been found to be variable within reasonably wide limits. However, it has been found highly desirable, although not necessary in all cases, that the sound reilecting member be of substantially symmetrical shape and considerabiy higher in its central portion than in its marginal edges. In Figures l and 2 is shown by way of illustration a sound relecting member 2E which is substantially pyramidal in form, the apex 2i of which lies substantially centrally of and spaced substantially from the center of the loud speaker unit i5.

By reference to Figures 1 and 2, it will be appreciated that sound projected from the loud speaker element i 5 will impinge upon the sloping surfaces of the sound reflector element and will be diffused and dispersed in all four lateral directions substantially uniformly due to the symmetrical construction of the sound reflecting element 20.

From the foregoing it will be clear that when the improved radio cabinet construction illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 is placed upon a table that sound emanating from the loud speaker will be dispersed by the sound reflectinfy member 20 laterally out through the grill work formed by the vertical legs i6 and the transverse bars IT and will produce a substantially uniform tone quality and audibility throughout a zone coinpletely surrounding the cabinet as a whole.

A further modied form of the invention is illustrated in Figures 3 and 5 of the drawings, in which a radio cabinet f substantially conventional construction is provided. This cabinet may contain a conventional radio receiving set adapted to be controlled by a plurality of adjusting knobs 26, the wave length to which it is adjusted being indicated by the dial or indicator 2l. A loud speaker or sound reproducing element is mounted in the upper wall of the cabinet and may be of any suitable construction such, for example, as the loud speaker l5 described in connection with the embodiment of the invention described above. It will be noted that the sound reproducing element 3S is so constructed and arranged as to project ie sound therefrom in substantially a vertically upward direction.

A supporting ring 3| is mounted substantially centrally of and a considerable distance above the top surface of the cabinet 25 and While this ring may be supported in any suitable way, by way of example Figures 3 to 5 of the drawings illustrate a plurality of arched brace members 32 which are connected to the marginal edge of the top surface of the cabinet and to the peripheral surface of the ring, which lends an ornamental appearance to the structure as a whole. The sound reflecting device used in connection with this embodiment of the invention as has been described above, may be of any particular form having the characteristics outlined above, and is shown as a sphere or globe 33 which may, if

desired, be removably seated in the ring 3|. This construction, as Will be seen, provides a hemispherical surface downwardly presenting toward and spaced from the upwardly presenting loud speaker element 30. As has been described above, the sound reflecting globe 33 may be constructed of any suitable material which has surface characteristics which serve to reect sound waves projected thereon. This construction will be seen to provide not only an extremely ornamental radio cabinet, but one which serves to disperse sound waves emanating from the speaker 30 laterally, equally in all directions and, because of its spherical shape, also disperses the round waves in a vertical direction as well. Accordingly, whether a listener is sitting, standing or lying down on any side of the radio, the intensity of the transmitted sound waves will be the same in all cases. This same feature is, of course, more or less common to all of the modifications shown herein. t might also be noted that where said sound emanates from the top of the cabinet as in the case shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, it will usually be at a sufiicient height to clear chairs, tables or other objects found in a room away from the walls thereof and,l accordingly',v such objects will not serve to screen off the'soundfrom the listeners.

A still further modied form of the invention is illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. In this form of the invention a cabinet 35 may be provided which is somewhat similar in construction to the cabinet 25 described above and which 'has avertically directed loud speaker element 36 mounted in the top wall thereof and adapted to project the sound emanating therefrom upward substantially vertically. As has been described in connection With the previous embodiments of the invention, the cabinet 35 may serve to house a conventional radio receiving set controlled by a plurality ofknobs 31 and having an indicating dial or pointer 38. An auxiliary panel 39 is spaced somewhat above the top panel of the radio cabinet by means of a plurality of supports 48. A substantially conical sound reflecting device 4| is mounted on the lower side of the panel 39 with the apex of the cone thereof lying substantially in the plane of the top of the radio cabinet 35 and having said apex substantially centrally disposed with respect to the sound reproducing element 35. It will be seen that this construction, in substantially the same manner as has been described above, serves to deflect the sound emanating from the sound reproducing apparatus 36 equally, laterally in substantially all directions out through the spaces between the supports 43.

A still further modified form of the invention is illustrated in Figures 8 to 10, inclusive, of the drawings. In the construction illustrated in this form of the invention, a radio cabinet 45 is provided which serves to house a conventional radio receiving set controlled by knobs 46 and having an indicating dial 4l in the front wall thereof. A sound deflecting device 48 is mounted upon the top surface of the radio cabinet 45. and it will be clear by reference to Figures 8, 9 and 10 that the sound deiiecting device used in this embodiment of the invention is constructed to form substantially half of an ovate spheroid of proportions complementary to the length and width of the top of the cabinet on which it is mounted. As has been described above, this sound reilecting device may be formed of any suitable material which has satisfactory surface characteristics. A supporting panel 49 is mounted substantially above the top of the cabinet 45 and while this panel may be supported in any suitable manner, by way of illustration, I have shown a plurality of spaced, vertically extending supports U which extend from the marginal edge of the top portion of the radio cabinet 45 to the marginal'edge of the auxiliary panel 49. Mounted in a suitable housing 5l on the underneath side of the auxiliary panel 49 is a downwardly directed sound reproducing unit or loud speaker 52 which preferably has the central portion thereof located directly over the central portion of the sound refleeting device 48 and spaced substantially therefrom.

In this construction, as was the case in connection with the constructions described above, it will be appreciated that sound projected downwardly from the loud speaker element 52 will impinge upon the surface of the convex sound reflector 48 and will be substantially uniformly, laterally and vertically dispersed in all directions and create a Zone of uniform audibility and tone quality substantially on all sides of the radio cabinet.

It will be understood that any desired number ofloud speakers and cooperating sound reflecting devices such as those described may be combined in a single cabinet and simultaneously operated from the same radio receiving set and, if desired, the loud speakers may be particularly responsive to different tone bands. For instance, in the modif-led form of the invention illustrated in detail in Figures 11 and 12 of the drawings a radio cabinet 69 is provided having a loud speaker element 6l mounted in the top thereof and a second loud speaker element 62 mounted in the front wall thereof. It will be understood that both loud speakersll and 62 are simultaneously operated by the same radio receiving apparatus (not shown) mounted within the cabinet 66 in a conventional manner. It will be noted by reference to Figures 11 and 12 that the loud speaker element 6l is directed upwardly and that the loud speaker element 62 is directed laterally and that each of these members is provided with sound refleeting devices 63 and 64 respectively in cooperative relation therewith. It will be appreciated that the sound reflecting devices 63 and 64 may be constructed in accordance with any of the forms described above and are shown as generally conical in form, by way of illustration.

While the sound reflecting devices 63 and 54 may be supported in any suitable manner, by way of example the drawings disclose spaced panels 65 and 66 which respectively serve to support these members. The base portion of the cabinet 65 is extended outwardly at 6l to provide a support for the base portion of the auxiliary panel 66 and the upper end of this panel ispreferably maintained in position by means of diagonally extending support bars 68 which interconnect the upper marginal edge of this panel with one of the side marginal edges of the top panel 65. The top panel 65 may be in addition supported by a plurality of brace members l extending from the marginal edge of the cabinet 60 to the marginal edge of the auxiliary panel 65. It will be specifically noted that in the form of the invention shown in Figures 11 and 12, the auxiliary panels 65 and 66, which serve respectively to support the sound reflecting devices 63 and 64, are in each instance slightly smaller than the area of the cabinet on which they are mounted and consequently thus provide for a maximum zone of sound dispersion on all sides of the radio cabinet.

The upper panel 65 may, if it is desired, be additionally supported by vertically extending bars 12 which extend from the base portion 61 to the marginal edge of the panel 65 at the lateral side of the auxiliary panel 64.

While the controls for the radio receiving set within the cabinet 50 may be mounted in any suitable position, by way of illustration they are shown in the present embodiment of the invention as being mounted directly upon the auxiliary panel 66, thus being directly available at the front portion of the cabinet construction.

It Will be appreciated that the above described modications of the invention are merely illus trative oi' the generic inventive concept defined in the subjoined claims and further many other and further modifications falling within the scope of the invention presented will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. In a radio cabinet construction having a loud speaker therein, a sound reflecting device disposed in front of said speaker, the surface of said sound reflecting device facing said speaker being smoothly convexly curved thereby serving to diuse sound in a plurality of directions.

2. In a radio cabinet construction having a loud speaker therein, a sound reflecting device disposed in front of said speaker, the surface of said sound reiiecting device facing said speaker being substantially a portion of a sphere, thereby serving to deect and diffuse the sound from said speaker in a plurality of directions.

3. In a radio cabinet construction, a cabinet for housing a radio receiver, means for spacing said cabinet above a surface on which it is supported, a downwardly directed speaker in the bottom of said cabinet and a sound reiiecting member carried by said spacing means convexly presenting toward said speaker serving to deflect sound equally in all directions laterally therefrom.

4. In a radio cabinet construction, a cabinet for housing a radio receiver, means for spacing said cabinet above a surface on which it is supported, a downwardly directed speaker in the bottom of said cabinet, and a substantially pyramidal sound reecting device spaced from said speaker and supported on said spacing means serving to deect sound from said speaker in a plurality of directions.

5. In a radio cabinet construction, a cabinet for housing a radio receiver, an upwardly directed loud speaker in the top of said cabinet and a sound reflecting member having a downwardly convex surface spaced above said speaker and serving to deflect sound therefrom in a plurality of directions.

6. In a radio cabinet construction, a cabinet for housing a radio receiver, an upwardly directed speaker` in the top of said cabinet, a plurality of spaced supports on the top of said cabinet and a downwardly convex sound reflecting device on said supports, spaced from and above said loud speaker and serving to deflect sound therefrom equally in all lateral directions.

7. In a radio cabinet construction, a cabinet for housing a radio receiver, a downwardly directed loud speaker unit mounted above and in spaced relation to the top of said loud speaker cabinet.

8. In a radio cabinet construction, a cabinet for housing a radio receiver, a. downwardly directed loud speaker unit mounted above and in spaced relation to the top of said cabinet, and an upwardly convex sound reflecting device mounted on top of said cabinet beneath said loud speaker and spaced therefrom. I

9. In a radio cabinet construction, a cabinet for housing a radio receiver, a plurality of spaced supports extending upwardly from the tcp of said cabinet, a downwardly directed loud speaker mounted on said supports and spaced substantially above the top of said cabinet, and an upwardly convex sound reflecting element mounted on top of said cabinet facing said speaker and spaced therefrom.

10. In a radio cabinet construction, a plurality of loud speaker units in the walls thereof directed in different directions and sound deecting members in spaced relation mounted in front of said loud speakers and serving to deflect the sound therefrom.

11. In a radio cabinet construction, a cabinet for housing a radio receiver, a plurality of supports extending above the top of said cabinet, a. panel carried by said supports, a downwardly directed loud speaker unit carried on the under side of said panel, and an upwardly convex sound reflecting element disposed on the top of said cabinet beneath and spaced from said loud speaker.

12. In a radio cabinet construction, a cabinet for housing a radio receiver, an upwardly directed loud speaker in the top of said cabinet, a laterally directed loud speaker in one of the side walls of said cabinet, and separate sound deiiecting members in front of each of said loud speakers, said sound deecting members being convex toward and spaced from said loud speakers and serving to deflect the sound therefrom in a plurality of directions.

13. In a radio cabinet construction having an upwardly directed loud speaker in the top and a laterally directed loud speaker in the side thereof, means for supporting sound deiiecting devices in front of each of said speakers and supports interconnecting said sound deflecting devices.

ROBERT B. EVANS. 

